Our brave little girl!

Yesterday we took Autumn to get the allergy scatch test done on her back. Paul has the week off so he got to come. And he gave her a father's blessing before we left. With the new baby due soon and 1st grade looming in the distance it was important for us to know what she still has allergies to and if there were any we weren't aware of.

They drew numbers on her back so they would know what each dot represented. She was nervous, but did laugh at this part because it tickled to have someone writing on her.

The tough part came after the numbers were in place. She was getting 116 different pricks on her back and arms. The nurse did them in groups of 8 and she was fast. She had them all done in less than a minute. The first group Autumn realized this was going to hurt. She let out a little yelp than sat still as tears rolled down her face. She sat on Paul's lap like a monkey while they did the pricks. She didn't put up a fight, scream, or move. The staff said she did great, most kids really flip out!


After all the pricks were done we had to wait 20 minutes for the results to appear on the injection spots. The doctor came in and went one by one and either said negative meaning no reaction or 1-4, 1 being a minor reaction and 4 being major or deathly. We heard a lot of numbers and I was not only shocked but worried about what this meant for her.

We discovered that she is still deathly allergic to eggs, which means no cake still. She is also highly allergic to seafood, especially shellfish. Her milk reaction was a 2 so the doctor said we could try and introduce her to that if we feel comfortable. It could cause stomach pain or headaches, but he said as long as there are no hives she is good to go. Last night we were willing to try pudding, but we chickened out, and after a nights sleep we decided today we are going to put milk on her hand and see what happens. After avoiding milk like the plague for 5 years it is hard to just let our guard down.

Out of 112 spots, 64 had reactions. The most prevalent section of allergies are outdoor ones. All types of grass, tons of bushes, trees and flowers. So now we get to take out all the plants in the backyard. Luckily we have great neighbors with the right tools to get the job done.

She also is highly allergic to animals and dust. Our dog was a topic of disscussion last night. He is an inside-outside pet. He has the potential to be a major risk for her. So in a compromise we have decided to keep him, but he will have to bathed weekly, wiped down with pet wipes before entering the house, and luckily he is already trained to stay out of bedrooms. The kids really fought hard for him to stay.
We are also making it a new rule to remove shoes before entering the house so we can cut done on contaminates brought in.

The doctor was impressed that we have kept her safe and that she actually attends public school. He wants to start her on allergy shots to help lower or possibly eliminate her plant and animal allergies. He said she has an 80% chance of developing asthma if we don't do something quick. We are still weighing out this option and praying for guidance.

We are so glad we took her in and had this test done. I feel better informed about her condition and loved this doctor. He also provides pediatric services so we are switching both the kids to him. It will be such a blessing to have Autumn with a doctor who understands her.

We did tell her she could pick anything as a prize or treat for doing an awesome job and she wanted a Happy Meal. So dinner was at McDonald's last night.

She did so great and it really showed us how this condition has made her mature beyond her years. She asked a lot of poignant questions, wanted to know all about it, and handled it like a trooper. She even asked to see a picture of her back-we showed her and she said "There sure is a lot of spots, any of them bad?"

Paul did great holding her and giving her support. I did good during the test, but during the 20 minutes of waiting I had to step outside and cry. She was being so brave and handling it so well. The doctor saw me and gave me a hug and said "You have handled it this long, now we are getting a play book for you to use!" Words of comfort and relief!!

Her back looks so good today and we got the numbers off in the tub last night! I am so proud of her and so grateful to modern medicine. Without it we would be in the dark in regards to her. Hopefully we will never have to do that again!!